If You Don't Know Me by Now
by Sheankelor
Summary: Snape first meeting with the teachers as headmaster. He doesn't want the Filius, Minerva, and Pomona to hate him, but he doesn't know how to win their trust without losing the Dark Lord's. See what he comes up with. My beta said this could fit into "The Deal" universe.


_If You Don't Know Me by Now_

_AN: This story was inspired by __Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff's song by the above title_. _ I was listening to _Simple Red's_ version on the radio and this scene just came to mind. If you don't know the song, take the time to go read the lyrics at least. Yengirl did a flyby typo/editing and so I am grateful to her. She made this one just a touch better.  
_

Severus drew in a deep breath and looked at Albus' portrait. "They all blame me. No matter how many times you told them to trust me, they don't."

The blue eyes for once were not twinkling. Severus knew that they could, even as a portrait. Not even death could stop the twinkle. "They will. Just remind them."

"How? There is no way I can reassure them of my allegiance. If I did it would somehow get back to the Dark Lord and that would ruin our plans and more students would get hurt." He raised his fingers to his temple and tried to rub out the tension that was taking up residence there. He knew this would be easier if the others hated him, if they didn't trust him, but it hurt. After all they had done together, after all they had been through, they should trust him.

"Then they won't know. But I think you can find away, my boy." The voice was a touch sad but confidence was in there too.

Severus retreated to his desk as the four heads of house came in. He kept his face blank as he took in the looks of Minerva, Filius and Pomona. Slughorn's he honestly didn't care about. He shut the door with a wave of his wand. The Carrows and the other teachers were coming shortly, but he wanted to talk to the heads by themselves for just a moment. "I will not tolerate any subversion in the houses. You should pay attention to what is said, and who is saying it, and report it directly to me." He pinned all four with a glare. He watched as Minvera's spine stiffened as she prepared for battle. Filius's face showed that he was thinking of ways to get around that, and Pomona's was showing her contempt of the idea. Horace's face showed that he was not expecting trouble.

"And what will you do to those students?" Minerva bit out the question. Her eyes flickered to Albus' portrait.

Severus kept his face blank as he mentally winced at the question. He could see the hurt in her eyes as he looked closer. _'Maybe...Maybe...' _He moved to stand under the corner of Albus' portrait. Even as he locked eyes with Minerva, the door opened and the others came in. He made eye contact with Filius and Pomona while the others joined them. "If you don't know me by now, you will never... never know me." He shifted his eye contact to the Carrows as they smirked to the side. "After all the things that we've been through you should understand me, like I understand you." He looked back into the eyes of the three people whose understanding of him was imperative.

Albus leaned forward just a bit; his hand in a position that could look either like he was pushing Severus away or resting on his shoulder, depending on which you wanted to view it as. It was a gesture he had used often with him in the early days when the other heads were around to show his support of the young Potions Master. When he was alive, it had been very obvious that he was clasping his shoulder.

Minerva was the first to spot the move, followed quickly by Filius and then Pomona.

Severus wondered briefly what happened as he watched the three he needed to accept him relax minutely. Not enough that anyone who didn't know them well could notice. _'But I meant it when I said that I understood them.'_ A quick check back at the Carrows showed that they were smirking even broader than before. Turning his attention back to the meeting, he moved back to the desk. "Minerva, you are being replaced as the deputy. The Carrows will be taking your place, and will be in charge of student discipline." He watched her shoulders set and her eyes narrow. But the hurt in those eyes was missing.

"We have been handling our own discipline longer than you've been teaching. I think we can continue to do so." The tone was condescending with just the right degree of uncertainty in it.

"You could leave, I'm sure I can get someone else to teach transfiguration." Severus narrowed his eyes, hoping she would back down.

She snorted lightly before she answered. "And have some scum ruin my students chances at passing their NEWTs and OWLs." She crossed her arms and took a stance that said she wasn't going anywhere. _'Just the right amount of defiance and then backing down when called on it. This year is going to be tough on all of us.'_

"Good. And that goes for anyone else who doesn't want to comply with the new rules." Severus looked over the rest of them. Smothered outrage was what most were showing him. The others were scared. The Carrows were the exception, they were smugly superior. "The Carrows shall be taking over the Muggle Studies class and the Dark Arts." He smirked slightly; maybe the curse will happen faster now that the weren't calling it Defense Against. "I shall be sending the rest of the new rules and changes to you. We will meet to clarify anything that you can't comprehend." Here he let his eyes rest on the divination teacher. "You may go."

He glared at them until the last teacher filtered out of the door. Once the door was sealed the silencing charm and sensory ward clicked in place. They were now permanent fixtures. He lifted his eyes once again to the blue ones that were once again twinkling.

"See, I told you you would think of something. And well done it was. Both sides took it as positive." Albus decided not to mention his part he played.

Severus leaned back in his chair. "And now the acting really begins." Even as he said it, his heart felt lighter. He wasn't the only one acting. The others would be able to cover any mistakes. And they could work together to keep the students as safe as can be.


End file.
